Automatic film-wrapping apparatus

ABSTRACT

Apparatus provided for the feeding of articles attendant the wrapping and sealing thereof in printed, center-folded webs of article-wrapping film materials and comprises means to move said articles, means to move said article moving means, and means to discontinue movement of the articles by the article moving means despite the continuation of the movement thereof by the means to move the same. Said article moving means and the means to move the same may take the form of mechanically connected fluid actuated piston-cylinder assemblies, and means which take the form of detecting means to detect print registration marks which are formed on said web, are included to operate said article movement means to discontinue movement thereby of said articles upon detection of a said print registration mark.

United States Patent 2,008,960 7/1935 Lampard lnventor Seymour Zelnick Orange, NJ. Appl. No. 846,887 Filed Aug. 1, 1969 Patented Apr. 27, 1971 Assignee Weldotron Corporation Newark, NJ.

AUTOMATIC FILM-WRAPPING APPARATUS 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 53/51, 53/182, 198/24, 198/221 Int. Cl B651) 41/18, B65b 57/00 Field of Search 53/51, 180, 182; 198/24, 221

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,101,851 8/1963 l-leideetal 3,465,489 9/1969 Monaghan Primary Examiner-Theron E. Condon Assistant Examiner-Robert L. Spruill Attorney-Harry Cohen ABSTRACT: Apparatus provided for the feeding of articles attendant the wrapping and sealing thereof in printed, centerfolded webs of article-wrapping t'rlm materials and comprises means to move said articles, means to move said article moving means, and means to discontinue movement of the articles by the article moving means despite the continuation of the movement thereof by the means to move the same, Said article moving means and the means to move the same may take the form of mechanically connected fluid actuated pistoncylinder assemblies, and means which take the form of detecting means to detect print registration marks which are formed on said web, are included to operate said article movement means to discontinue movement thereby of said articles upon detection of a said print registration mark.

L 70 1 ABC ABC ABC l2 68 68 68 68a l l I61 I AUTOMATIC FILM-WRAPPING APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to new and improved apparatus for the feeding of articles attendant the wrapping and sealing thereof in printed, center-folded webs of article-wrapping materials.

2. Description of the Prior Art Although there are many automatic packaging machines available for the wrapping of articles in printed film materials, with proper print registration, it may be understood that such machines generally utilize two individual webs of said film materials, one of which is disposed above the article and has the printing of interest in the nature of an article label thereon, and the other of which is disposed below the article. As a result, it may be understood that the operation of these machines is quite simple in requiring only the advance of the article, as by pusher means, with concomittant feed of both of said webs, the sensing of a print registration mark by suitable detecting means to indicate proper registration of said article label with the article to be wrapped, and the resultant discontinuance of the feed of said upper printed web, with the remainder of the film material required to complete the article-wrapping operation being supplied from the unprinted lower web.

The above-described manner of accomplishing the articlewrapping operation, with proper print registration, may, however, be understood to be substantially inapplicable to that class of automatic packaging machinery generally known as L- sealers which utilize, to distinct advantage, a single center folded web of film wrapping material which is, of course, moveable only as a unit, and one-half a sheet of which has said printing thereon. This is to say that since there is only a single web of film-wrapping material, it, of course, becomes substantially impossible to discontinue the feed of one sheet thereof while continuing the feed of the other. As a result it becomes necessary instead to precisely control the stroke of the article pusher means in accordance with the detection of the print registration mark to insure precisely correct retraction of said article pusher means at the point when the article is properly positioned for wrapping with correct print registration. Although apparatus operable in this manner are satisfactory, it may be understood that the same are rendered both inordinately complex and costly by the requirement for the relatively complex and costly components which must, of necessity, be included therein to effect the precise stopping and retraction of the article pusher means at varied points in the stroke thereof.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide simplified, new and improved apparatus for the feeding of articles attendant the wrapping thereof in printed, center-folded webs of article-wrapping materials.

Another object of the invention is the provision of ap paratus as above which are substantially less costly than functionally similar apparatus of the prior art.

Another object of this invention is the provision of apparatus as above which require the use of only readily available components of proven dependability in the fabrication thereof to thus provide for long periods of satisfactory, maintenance-free apparatus operation.

A further object of this invention is the provision of apparatus as above which are particularly, though not exclusively, adapted for use in automatic machinery for sealing filmwrapped packages in the nature of those disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,429,100.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE As disclosed herein, the new and improved apparatus of the invention for feeding articles attendant the wrapping and sealing thereof in printed, folded webs of film-wrapping material comprise article moving means which take the form of a first, fluid actuated piston-cylinder assembly and a second fluid actuated piston-cylinder assembly which is carried from the former so as to be movable therewith and which includes article pusher means thereon for contacting and feeding the articles upon the advance of said first piston-cylinder assembly. Print registration marks are provided. on said web, which is movable with said articles, and detecting means are provided to detect said print registration marks and retract said second piston-cylinder assembly in response thereto to move said pusher means out of contact with said articles to discontinue movement of the latter despite the continued advance of said first piston-cylinder assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects and significant advantages of the invention are believed made clear by the following description thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic top plan view depicting the apparatus of the invention in the retracted position thereof;

Flg. 2 is a view in the nature of FIG. I depicting the apparatus of the invention in the advanced position thereof;

FIG. 3 is somewhat schematic side plan view depicting the apparatus of the invention in the position thereof of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the control circuit utilized to control the circuit of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a generally elongated support platform is indicated at 10, and a supply roll 12 of a folded web 14 of thermoplastic film is rotatably supported therefrom as shown by support means indicated at 16 and 18, respectively. The web 14 is folded as indicated along fold line 20 to in essence present joined upper and lower web sheets 22 and 24 as best seen in FIG. 3. This manner of folding the web 141 and the arrangement thereof, as well as other features of this invention as discussed in greater detail hereinbelow, are described in detail in each of US. Pat. Nos. 3,135,077 and 3,429,100, respectively, whereby it may be understood that the respective entire disclosure of said United States Patents are hereby fully incorporated by reference herein.

An infeed conveyor module which may, for example, take the form of that shown and described in said US. Pat. No. 3,429,100, is indicated generally at 26 and is effective to intermittently supply the packages 28 to a loading station 29 which may, for example, include nonillustrated loading tray means in the manner made clear by said US. Pat. No. 3,429,100 on the support platform 10 transversely of the latter as indicated by the directional arrows on the said infeed conveyor module in FIGS. 1 and 2.

An L-sealer module which may, for example, take the general form of those shown and described in said US. Pat. Nos. 3,135,077 and 3,429,100, respectively, is indicated generally at 30 and, briefly described, comprises thin, elongated heat-sealing and rutting ribbonlike elements 32 and 34 disposed as shown in a support frame 26 generally transversely and generally longitudinally, respectively, of the support platform 10, and an L-sealer module base as indicated at 37. The L-sealer module 30 is movable, as by generally pivotal movement about an axis as indicated at 38 in FIGS. 1 and 2 from a raised or open" position thereof as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3, to a lowered or closed position thereof as indicated in FIG. 2 wherein the same is effective to bring the heat-sealing and cutting elements 32 and 34 into contact with both the upper and lower sheets 22 and 24 of thermoplastic web 14 to press the same against the base 37 and cut and seal the said sheets along lines which are generally coextensive with said heat-sealing and cutting elements.

A package pusher module is indicated generally at 40 and comprises a primary fluid-actuated. fixed stroke pistoncylinder assembly 42 having a piston rod 44. A support arm 46 extends as shown from the extremity of piston rod 44, and a secondary, fluid-actuated fixed stroke piston-cylinder assembly 48 is supported therefrom as shown and includes a piston rod 50. The term fixed stroke as utilized herein is to be clearly understood to mean that, although the respective strokes of the piston-cylinder assemblies may be adjustable in generally conventional manner by stroke-adjusting means included therein, the apparatus of the invention does not include means to adjust the said strokes automatically in accordance with the position of the web M as made clearer hereinbelow.

A pusher 52 extends as shown from the extremity of piston rod 50 and is effective to push packages from the location thereof on the support platform I depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3,

.to the location thereof depicted in FIG. 2 wherein the latter may be operated on by the L-sealer module 30 as described in detail hereinbelow.

Guide arms 54, 56 and 58 are provided to extend as shown generally transversely of the support platform l0 and may be understood to be operative to separate the upper and lower web sheets 22 and 24, respectively, and maintain the upper sheet 22 of the folded film web M above the package 28, and the lower sheet 24 of the said film web below the said package, all in a manner believed made clear by FIG. 3 and described in detail in said US. Pat. No. 3,429,100. In addition, it may be understood that further, although nonillustrated fluidoperated web sheet separating means in the nature of those disclosed in said US. Pat. No. 3,429,100 may, if desired, be incorporated in the apparatus of the invention.

A package detect switch is indicated at 60 and may be understood to be effective to detect the supply of a package 28 from the infeed conveyor module 26 to the loading station 29 of the support pladorm 10. A pusher interlock switch is indicated at 62 and is effective to detect the travel of the prima ry piston-cylinder assembly 42 to the end of its travel as depicted in FIG. 2.

Light detecting means which may, for example, take the form of a photoelectric cell, are indicated at M and may be understood to be effective to detect article location indicia which may, for example, take the form of print registration marks 68 which are formed as indicated at generally equally spaced intervals on the upper web sheet 22 for purposes described in detail hereinbelow.

Printed indicia which may, for example, take the form of a product identification label, are indicated at 70 in FIG. 2, and may be understood to be printed as shown in the outer surface of the upper web sheet 22 generally centrally of each expanse thereof as lies between adjacent print registration marks 68.

For use in the sealing of film-wrapped packages utilizing a printed film as described directly hereinabove, and making reference now to the control circuit of FIG. 4 which is to be clearly understood to represent only that portion of the overall apparatus control circuit which is necessary to a full and complete disclosure of this invention, operation and the apparatus is commenced by the manual closing of double contact switch 72.

The closing of double contact switch 72 energizes solenoid 73, through the primary and secondary windings 75 and 77 of stepdown transformer 79, and rectifier 81, respectively, to engage the clutch 83 of the continuously running infeed conveyor module drive motor 85 to start the drive of the infeed conveyor module 26 to commence the feed of a package 28 to the loading station 29 of the support platform I0. At this point it may be understood that the primary piston-cylinder assembly 42 is fully retracted and the secondary pistoncylinder assembly 48 is fully advanced, all in the manner clearly depicted in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The closing of switch 72 is also effective to energize relay 74 to close the normally open contacts 76 and 78 of the latter.

The resultant feed of a package 28 to the loading station 29, and between the respective separated upper and lower web sheets 22 and 24 of the folded web I4 is effective to actuate and close the package detect switch 60 with the result that relay is energized to close the nonnally open contacts 82 and 84 of the latter while opening the normally closed contacts 86 thereof. After the trailing edge of the package 28 passes over the package detect switch 60, the latter will be shifted to deenergize the solenoid 73, again through transformer 79 and rectifier 81, to disengage clutch 83 to temporarily halt the feed of packages 28 by the infeed conveyor module 26.

The closing of normally open contacts 84 energizes solenoid 88 to operate solenoid-controlled valve means 90 to supply fluid to the primary piston-cylinder assembly 42 to commence the advance thereof from right to left as seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and, through the medium of the mechanically connected secondary piston-cylinder assembly 44 and pusher 52, commence the indexing of the package 28 to the L-sealer module 30. The secondary piston-cylinder assembly 48 is maintained in the advanced position thereof by the energization of solenoid 92, through the normally closed contacts 94 of the still deenergized relay 96, which operates valve 98 to maintain the supply of pressurized fluid to the said secondary pistoncylinder assembly.

As the package-28 is advanced by the operation of the pusher module 40 it operates, by pushing against the sealed edges I00 of the upper and lower web sheets 22 and 24 provided by the preceding cutting and sealing operation, to drag the folded film web 14 forward, or from right to left as seen in FIGS. I, 2 and 3, until the said package has reached the position thereof of FIG. 2 whereat the same may be operated upon the L-sealer module 30.

As this occurs, and as made clear by a comparison of FIG. I and FIG. 2, a print registration mark 68a will be dragged past and detected by the photoelectric cell 66 which is connected as shown for energization in the control circuit of FIG. 4 through the primary and secondary windings 102 and 104 of a stepdown transformer I06, whereupon the said photoelectric cell will operate to close the normally open contacts 108 to energize relay 96 with resultant closing of normally open relay contacts 93, opening of the normally closed relay contacts 94, and attendant deenergization of the solenoid 92.

The deenergization of solenoid 92 will operate valve means 98 to effect the rapid retraction of the secondary pistoncylinder assembly 48 to the retracted condition thereof depicted in FIG. 2 thus retracting and maintaining the pusher 52 out of contact with the package 28 to terminate the advance thereof despite the fact that the primary piston-cylinder assembly 42 continues to advance. At this point, the package 28 will remain in the position thereof depicted in FIG. 2 wherein the same is properly positioned relative to the L-sealer module 30 for operation of the latter thereon in such manner, as insured by the substantial equality of spacing between the respectiveprint registration marks and the extent of such spacing relative to the distance between the thusly detected print registration mark 68a and the location of the said L- sealer module, that the indicia 70 (FIG. 2) on the portion of the upper web sheet 22 which now overlies the package 28 of interest, will substantially centrally located or properly aligned relative to said package of interest to obviously significant esthetic advantage.

With the said package thusly positioned relative to the L- sealer module 30, the latter will be operated as described in detail in said US. Pat. No. 3,429,100 to move the frame to the lowered or closed" position as depicted in FIG. 2 to bring the respective cutting and sealing elements into contact with the respective upper and lower web sheets 22 and 24 to cut and seal the same along lines generally coextensive therewith to effect the complete sealing of the package 28 within the folded film web I4, it being understood that the fold line 20 of the latter and the previously cut and sealed edges thereof will, of course, form the remaining edges of the thusly sealed package unit.

As the primary piston-cylinder assembly 42 reaches the end of its fixed stroke, the pusher interlock switch 62 will be opened thereby, as by contact with the outer extreme face of the connecting arm 46 as seen in FIG. 2, to open the former to thereby deenergize relay 80 with resultant opening of normally open relay contacts 84 and closing of normally closed relay contacts 86.

The opening of relay contacts 84 will deenergize solenoid 88, while the closing of relay contacts 86 will energize solenoid 110 to operate valve means 90 to supply compressed fluid to the primary piston-cylinder assembly 42 to effect the retraction thereof back to the retracted position depicted in H08. 1 and 3.

Operation in the above described manner is, of course, continuous, with the feed of the next package 28 from the infeed conveyor module 26 to the loading station 29 function to again actuate the package detect switch 60 to reinitiate the package feeding cycle.

While we have indicated the pusher module 40 as comprising two, fixed stroke fluid actuated piston-cylinder asemblies, it is to be understood that the same may, in the alternative, comprise a combination of one such piston-cylinder assembly and one solenoid means or two motorized linear actuator means, or various combinations thereof.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the underlying idea of principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. ln apparatus for feeding an article, means to move said article, means to move said article-moving means, means included in said means to move said article to discontinue movement of said article thereby despite the continued movement thereof by said means to move said article-moving means, means for providing article-wrapping material which is movable with said article upon movement of the latter, said wrapping material including indicia formed thereon to indicate the location of said article, and detecting means operably associated with said means to discontinue article movement and operable to detect said registration indicia to operate the former to discontinue article movement.

2. ln apparatus as in claim 1 wherein, said means to-move said article-moving means comprise a fluid-moving means comprise a fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly.

3. ln apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.

4. ln apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said means to move said article comprise a second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly which is operably associated with said fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly so as to be :moveable therewith.

5. ln apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said pistoncylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.

6. ln apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.

7. ln apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly includes pusher means formed thereon to contact and move said article, and said means to discontinue movement of said article comprise means to retract said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly to retract said pusher means from contact with said article.

8. ln apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said piston cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.

9. ln apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.

10. In apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke. 

1. In apparatus for feeding an article, means to move said article, means to move said article-moving means, means included in said means to move said article to discontinue movement of said article thereby despite the continued movement thereof by said means to move said article-moving means, means for providing article-wrapping material which is movable with said article upon movement of the latter, said wrapping material including indicia formed thereon to indicate the location of said article, and detecting means operably associated with said means to discontinue article movement and operable to detect said registration indicia to operate the former to discontinue article movement.
 2. In apparatus as in claim 1 wherEin, said means to move said article-moving means comprise a fluid-moving means comprise a fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly.
 3. In apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.
 4. In apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said means to move said article comprise a second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly which is operably associated with said fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly so as to be moveable therewith.
 5. In apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.
 6. In apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.
 7. In apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly includes pusher means formed thereon to contact and move said article, and said means to discontinue movement of said article comprise means to retract said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly to retract said pusher means from contact with said article.
 8. In apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.
 9. In apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke.
 10. In apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said second fluid-actuated piston-cylinder assembly is of fixed stroke. 